Tire lift structure



July 25, 1950 H. c. SCHlLDMElER 2,516,250

TIRE LIFT STRUCTURE Filed April 16, 1945 Patented July 25, 1950 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 2,516,260 LIFT STRUCTURE Henry C. Schildmeier,Indianapolis, Ind. Application April 16, 1945, SerialNo. 588,699

4 Claims. 1 This invention relates to a portable tire and wheelelevator.

To reduce tire wear to a minimum it is highly desirable to balancedynamically and statically. a tire and wheel. However, larger sizes arepar- The chief object of this invention is to provide a portable,manually operable elevator that one man can easily move about andoperate to raise such a tire and wheel to spindle height for mountingthereon and when so raised be readily moved for spindle insertion in thewheel.

for mounting same on the spindle.

The chief feature of the present invention resides in the hand trucktype of framework upon which is adjustably mounted the tire elevatingmeans, same being movable by a self-locking power unit, such as a wormand wheel drive.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fullyhereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will. be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the tire and wheelportable elevator with the elevating portion partly elevated from thelowest position. Herein a tire only is shown dotted thereon andconfined.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the power portion of the invention,parts being broken away to show same and other parts in "section.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview taken on".

line 3-3 of Fig. 1..

In the drawings l indicates a, tubular cross member between twoforwardly extending, parallel, free end, tubular arm or side members llat the rear end'thereof. Extending upwardly from each junction of themembersv is a tubular upright l2. All are transversely positioned asillustrated in Fig. 1.

Extending through tube or cross member i6 is an axle not shown which onthe projecting ends mounts large wheels l3, the immediate ends of theaxle being headed as at M for wheel retention. Other types of wheelretention means may be employed if desired.

Depending from the lower portion at the front end of each side member Hare the spaced ears smaller wheel I! between the ears.

Each upright terminates in a rearwardly and upwardly as well as inwardlydirected handle portion l8 and same are connected by the upperconnecting mid-portion l9 parallel to member ID. The foregoingconstitutes the handle for the resulting truck.

About two-thirds up from member ID and parallel thereto and connected atopposite'ends to uprights i2 is the cross brace 20. Above the same at aslight distance each upright I2 is transversely apertured as at 2| andtherein is mounted a sleeve '22, said sleeves being longitudinallyaligned and herein parallel to cross brace 20 and member III.

A shaft 23 is rotatably mounted in the sleeve bearings 22 and one endprojects beyond one of them as illustrated. Mounted on said shaft 23 andsuitably secured thereto as at 24 by pins or rivets is a tube 25 of alength just slightly less than the distances between the uprights. Crossmember 20 prevents upright I2 and tube 25 binding since it maintainsuprights l2 in the desired spaced relation. Since tube 25 is pinned toshaft 23 the latter cannot move longitudinally and escape from bearings22.

On the upright l2 adjacent shaft 23 is welded or rigidly mounted plate26 through which shaft 23 projects. Plate 26 supports a cap type housing21 which at opposite ends rotatably supports crank shaft 28. Within thehousing and rigid with shaft 28 is a worm 23. Shaft 28 is extendedrearwardly from the housing and mounts hand crank 30. These may bedetachably associated together if desired.

Pinned or otherwise rigidly secured to the projecting end of shaft 23 asat 3| is the worm wheel 32 that projects'upwardly into housing 21 andmeshes with worm 29. The engagement 'is guarded by said housing asillustrated. Rota .portion 39 having oppositely and outwardly directedportions 40 secured to arms 31 adjacent the forward termination ofplates 38. The re sult is a rigid connection between the sleeves so thatbinding of same on uprights l2 due to springing is prevented.

The lower ends of chains 33 are secured to the mid-portions of theangularly directed portions 40. This prevents chain binding on the crossbrace 20 when the elevating arms 31 are elevated for the chains coilupon and uncoil from tube 25;

Each upright l2, slightly above the bearing 22 and rearwardly thereof,mounts a tubular guide 45 the same having its axis parallel to theupright l2. Therein is slidably mounted upright member 46 rigid withplate 38 and sleeve 35 and secured thereto in the angle therebetween.Accordingly when the arms 31 are elevated by crank 30 rotation members46 slide upwardly in guides 45.

Rotatably supported in the upper end 41 of each elcvatable member 46 isone end of an angular arm 48. The outer end of said arm carries thearcuate member 49. Adjacent one connection 59 therebetween is a hook i,and opposite connection 50 mounts at 52 a chain 53. The vertical portionof angular arm 48 not only rotates in but is telescopically associatedwith the adjacent member 46 which is tubular at 41.

When arms 31 are in the lowest position, chain 53 is detached from hook5| and the arcuate members 49 are swung outwardly and rearwardly. Thenthe tire and wheel is placed on the elevator in upright position and lieagainst members 46. Then the arms 48 are elevated and swung towards eachother until arcuate members 49 engage the tire tread. When thuspositioned chain 53 is engaged with hook 51 to prevent arm separation.The wheel and tire is now held in desired position on the elevator.Rotation of crank 30 elevates the tire and wheel as desired. Reverserotation lowers same.

The wheel and tire is usually moved to the balancing machine in loweredposition, elevated as required, detached from the elevating mechanismwhen spindle mounted and then if desired the elevating truck may beremoved. When the tire and wheel is balanced the truck is repositioned,the tire and wheel supported and retained thereby in elevated relation,then removed from the spindle and lowered. The truck may then be movedto the vehicle and applied to the axle thereof by moving the free endsof the truck beneath the vehicle axle and swinging arms 49 rearwardly toclear the vehicle. After axle mounting the truck can be removed, and theaxle lowered for vehicle support by the tire and wheel.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detailin the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be consideredas illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which willreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all areconsidered to be within the broad scope of the invention, referencebeing had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a portable tire lift structure having a wheeled U-shaped base, anda pair of parallel uprights extending upwardly therefrom near one end, arotatable shaft carried by the upper portions'of the uprights andsubstantially parallel to the base, the combination of guide sleevemeans carried by the upper portions of the uprights, a frame havingsleeve means slidable on the lower portions of the uprights, a crossmember connecting the frame sleeve means together, upwardly directedframe members slidably associated with the guide sleeve means,substantially parallel lateral portions rigid with the frame sleevemeans and frame members at the junction thereof, a pair of flexibleinextensible means connected to the frame appreciably forwardly of thecross member and adjacent the lateral members, and shaft operableWindlass means juxtapositioned to the upright supported sleeve means andconnected to the flexible inextensible means.

2. A tire lift structure as defined by claim 1 wherein said shaftextends from upright to upright and has at least one end projectingthrough one of the uprights, that projecting end terminating appreciablybeyond the same, said windlass means comprising said shaft, manuallyoperable means carried by the said one of the uprights and arranged forshaft rotation, tube means enveloping said shaft between the uprightsand comprising spacing means therefor and a winding drum for theinextensible means, and means rigidizing the shaft and tube means.

3. A tire lift structure as defined by claim 2 wherein a cross-bar isjuxtapositioned to the tube means and is secured at opposite ends to theuprights and is spaced from the tube means sufiiciently for single layerwinding only of the inextensible means.

4. A tire lift structure as defined by claim 1 wherein a means extendssubstantially parallel to the central portion of the sleeve connectingframe cross member and is secured thereto and has outwardly andoppositely directed end portions which are rigid with and terminate atthe lateral portions immediate the ends of said lateral portions.

HENRY C. SCHILDMEIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 281,472 Dunan July 17, 1883312,016 Price et al Feb. 10, 1885 826,877 Pavey July 24, 1906 1,142,738Torson June 8, 1915 1,306,431 Klemme Jan. 10, 1919 1,640,297 Rogers Aug.23, 1927 1,847,382 Collins Mar. 1, 1932 2,217,898 Gemmill Oct. 15, 19402,364,918 Robertson Dec. 12, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date118,923 Australia July 31, 1943 726,058 France Feb. 23, 1932

